(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mouthpieces for cigarettes, and more particularly to a mouthpiece construction providing separate flow paths of ventilating air and smoke to the mouth end of the mouthpiece.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Mouthpieces for cigarettes are known in the art.
An example of a known mouthpiece is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,399. The mouthpiece device therein referred to as a filter for homogenizing air and smoke has a blind ended, longitudinal, central axial passageway open to either the smoker's mouth or a filter element, a plurality of longitudinal passageways surrounding and extending parallel to the central passageway, and traverse passageways interconnecting the longitudinal passageways and central passageway with each other and with the ambient. As the cigarette to which the mouthpiece device is smoked, smoke and ambient air traverses the longitudinal and control passageways wherein the smoke and air are mixed before delivery to the smoker's mouth.
Another example of a mouthpiece is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,220, therein referred to as a plug, as including a pair of hollow, substantially semi-cylindrical exterior wall parts integrally joined together along one longitudinal edge of each wall part by a flexible hinge. When the wall parts are folded upon one another they form a hollow, substantially cylindrical tube. Each wall part is formed with one-half of a transverse jet partition which cooperate to define a transverse jet partition across the interior of the tube. One of these half partitions is formed with an aperture jet to allow smoke to pass through the partition. In addition, one of the wall parts has an impingement baffle spaced longitudinally from the jet partition which extends transversely of the interior of the tube with its free edge terminating short of the wall surface of the other wall part to define a smoke opening of greater cross-sectional area than the jet opening. When a cigarette to which this mouthpiece is attached is smoked, smoke passes at a high velocity through the off-center jet aperture in the jet partition and impinges in a substantially straight line direction against the surface of the baffle. The smoke expands in the area between the jet partition and baffle, and passes through the smoke opening between the free edge of the baffle and wall surface of the other wall part. Smoke solids and liquids are impelled against the partition and baffle and adhere thereto. The two wall parts are held together in the folded position by either heat sealing the abutting longitudinal free edges of the wall parts or by forming the longitudinal free edge of one wall part with a tongue which is received in a longitudinal groove formed in the longitudinal free edge of the other wall part. It should be noted that the wall parts are entirely different in configuration.
Yet another example of a mouthpiece is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,576 as formed of a pair of semi-cylindrical shells hinged together at one longitudinal edge of each shell. The sheels are folded upon each other to form a hollow cylindrical mouthpiece defining a smoke chamber. The smoke chamber is separated from the tobacco column by two longitudinally spaced apart baffle plates, one baffle plate projecting into the chamber from one of the shells and the other baffle plate projecting into the chamber from the other one of the shells, to define a curved path which the smoke must traverse before entering the smoke chamber. The mouth end of the smoke chamber is closed by a wall having a control orifice for the flow of smoke out of the smoke chamber into the smoker's mouth. The wall is defined by a half wall projecting from one shell and another half wall projecting from the other wall such that the terminating edges of the half walls abutt. The exterior surface of each shell is formed with longitudinal grooves which are open at the mouth end of the mouthpiece and which cooperate with an overlaying perforated tipping paper to form ventilating air flow paths. The two shells are held together in the folded position by slots formed in one shell along the free longitudinal edge which receives tab projecting from the free longitudinal edge of the other shell. It should be noticed that the shells are differently configured from each other.